UK Summons Israeli Ambassador Over West Bank Settlement Approval

The UK has summoned Israel's ambassador to London, Tzipi Hotovely, in protest against Israel's approval of the E1 settlement project in the occupied West Bank, a move widely condemned as illegal and a serious threat to the viability of a future Palestinian state. This settlement expansion has been denounced by the UK alongside 20 other countries as a flagrant breach of international law that would divide a future Palestinian state and undermine the longstanding two-state solution. Israeli far-right figures have dismissed the prospect of a Palestinian state, further escalating tensions amid ongoing military operations in Gaza. The UK and the Media Freedom Coalition, comprising 26 countries, have also called on Israel to grant independent foreign journalists access to Gaza and protect media workers, highlighting the high number of journalists killed in the conflict. These diplomatic actions underscore growing international concern over settlement expansion and the deteriorating situation in Gaza, with calls for ceasefire, humanitarian aid, and accountability for attacks on journalists.